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Monday, February 12, 2007
Troops kill 2 Muslim militants, capture 2 (1:30 p.m.)
MANILA -- Philippine Marines pursuing al-Qaida-linked militants on a southern island clashed with unidentified gunmen Monday, killing two and capturing two others, the military said.
Marine spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan said it wasn't immediately clear whether the gunmen belonged to the Abu Sayyaf group - the target of a monthslong U.S.-backed offensive on Jolo island.
The troops were approaching the village of Andanan, about 950 kilometers (590 miles) south of Manila, when armed men opened fire, triggering a 30-minute clash, he said.
"As of the moment, we treat them as members of an armed group," he said, adding that a clan war also might have triggered the fighting.
Apart from an estimated 350 Abu Sayyaf guerrillas, Muslim rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front also are active on Jolo.
The MNLF was the largest Muslim separatist group and signed a peace accord with the government in 1996. Many of its members, however, have refused to disarm and have maintained strongholds on Jolo and nearby islands.
The guerrillas later accused the government of reneging on promises to deliver political and economic concessions to predominantly Muslim areas.
Earlier this month, the guerrillas held a marine general and 19 companions in their camp for two days. They were allowed to leave only after arranging a meeting with the Organization of the Islamic Conference to discuss the full enforcement of the 1996 accord.
Philippine security forces have scored a major victory against the Abu Sayyaf, killing its chieftain, Khadaffy Janjalani, in September, and his presumed successor, Abu Sulaiman, on Jolo in January.
The Abu Sayyaf is notorious for ransom kidnappings and has been linked to several deadly attacks in the Philippines, including a 2004 bombing that gutted a ferry, killing 116 people.(AP) |
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